The Telegraph’s Emily Gosden learned that DECC intends to cut the RO (Renewables Obligation) and Feed in Tariff subsidies for onshore wind sooner than expected – details are expected to be announced this week.

This would only leave Contracts for Difference open to developers.

The move would shut down many projects in the pipeline, industry figures from Infinis and Scottish Power warned, which were planned under the assumption the RO would be available for projects built until 2017.

This seems to be very much in line with the Conservative manifesto pledge to halt onshore windfarms – though the briefing on the Energy Bill that was published around the Queen’s Speech last week was unclear as to the extent of the plans (See Energydesk piece: When is a ban on onshore wind not actually a ban on onshore wind?).

Scottish Power argued that the policy would raise bills, and see hundreds of millions of investments written off.

DECC said: “With the cost of supplying onshore wind falling, government subsidy is no longer appropriate.”

The FT leader says “As for concerns about the impact on the climate, it is true that the world will have to curb emissions of greenhouse gases to reduce the risk of climate change, as Shell today acknowledges in a joint letter to the FT, cosigned by five other major energy companies.” (Here’s the letter.)

Energy giants BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Total, Statoil, Eni and the BG Group have asked for a stake in designing energy policy and curbing greenhouse gas emissions through a global carbon pricing policy, the FT reports. They say they have an important contribution to make.

Oilprice opine that Shell’s Arctic campaign this year will be pivotal and if it fails, will set back Arctic oil for a generation.

Meanwhile, a US federal agency found that Shell underestimated risk in its 2012 forays into the Arctic that saw the Kulluk drilling rig grounded.